Diagnosis and clinical manifestations of calcium pyrophosphate and basic calcium phosphate crystal deposition diseases

Abstract

Basic calcium phosphate and pyrophosphate calcium crystals are the 2 main calcium-containing crystals that can deposit in all skeletal tissues. These calcium crystals give rise to numerous manifestations, including acute inflammatory attacks that can mimic alarming and threatening differential diagnoses, osteoarthritis-like lesions, destructive arthropathies, and calcific tendinitis. Awareness of uncommon localizations and manifestations such as intraspinal deposition (eg, crowned dens syndrome, tendinitis of longus colli muscle, massive cervical myelopathy compression) prevents inappropriate procedures and cares. Coupling plain radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and synovial fluid analysis allow accurate diagnosis by directly or indirectly identifying the GRAAL of microcrystal-related symptoms.

Keywords: Apatite; Basic calcium phosphate; Calcific tendinitis; Calcification; Calcium pyrophosphate; Chondrocalcinosis; Crowned dens syndrome; Ultrasonography.